Assessing the United States Humanitarian Intervention Policy in the Post-Cold War Period

Abstract

With the end of the Cold War, many conflicts occurred within the borders of a single country. This situation gave the opportunity to external forces to intervene in the name of ‘Humanitarian Intervention’ in order to protect people whose rights were violated. In recent years, humanitarian intervention has made a significant advance with the doctrine of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P). The US as the world’ superpower has shown support to this notion. It seeks different forms of interventions that are characterized by military actions. Those actions have always been proclaimed to be guided and justified by the United Nation (UN). In practice, it is difficult to obtain success for humanitarian intervention, which is the motive for studying this topic. This work focuses primarily on the Syrian conflict. More precisely, it examines whether the US responds effectively to the Syrian crisis through humanitarian intervention policy or not. In that respect, military intervention did not save lives as commonly believed, it extends to strategic interests in the Syrian conflict that is overthrowing the Assad Regime. Regardless of humanitarian motives, this research investigates the achievement of the political interests of the US.